Looper attachment and method



Jan. 13, 1959 s. E. woon -LOOPER ATTACHMENT AND METHOD Filed March 27, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 l D RO OO WW mi y M m 5 Jan. 13, 1959 s. E. wooD LooPER ATTACHMENT AND METHOD 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 27, 1957 INVENTOR. 5am/Ey E W00@ /QTfO//Vf/ Jan. 13, 1959 x s. E. woon LOOPER ATTACHMENT AND METHOD Filed March 27, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 BY www,

United States -2,868,147 LOOPER ATTACHMENT AND METHOD Sidney E. Wood, Batesville, Miss., assignor to Jahill Company, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application March 27, 1957, Serial No. 548,843

12 Claims. (Cl. 112-25) 'I'his invention relates to a mechanism by means of which a stronger looping seam can be made in seamless hosiery.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of such a mechanism which as disclosed may be incorporated in newly constructed looping machines of the dial type, or which may be manufactured and applied as an attachment to machines of this type already in existence.

Another object of this invention involves the conception-of a novel method of removing the loopers waste from seamless hosiery in preparation for looping it.

Still another object of this invention involves the conception of a novel form of looping seam for seamless hosiery. p -f Other and more detailed objects of the invention will be apparent from the following disclosure of the several embodiments thereof illustrated in the attached drawings.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view with some parts broken away of that portion of a dial looper essential to the understanding of the subject matter of this invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic and schematic illustration of a portion of seamless hosiery fabric at an adjacent looping line illustrating the method of showing the novel product of the invention;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional vView taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, showing in elevation the form of the attachment appearing in plan in Figure l, with some parts schematically illustrated;

Figures 5 and 6 are views similar to that of Figure 4 each showing further modifications of the structure of Figure 4; and

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating a condition in connection with brushing which willVbe described later.

The subject matter of this invention has special Value in the looping of seamless hosiery, wherein the looping rline, as those skilled in the art understand, is located across the top of the stocking fabric in the foot at the junction line between the sole portion and the adjacent reinforced portion of the toe fabric. In knitting a seamless stocking fabric, as is well understood in the art, the knitting in this region is effected by oscillatory movement of the knitting cylinder or instrumentalities in a stationary cylinder machine, as distinguished from round vand round knitting prior thereto.

In looping the seam at this point it is common practice in the industry to use one or more well known looping machines of the dial type, such as for example the Sotco looping machine presently manufactured and sold by Southern Textile Machinery Company, and others. As a background for' this disclosure reference is made to several of the Sotco patents on this machine, as for example United States Patents 1,725,819 and 1,725,825, issued on August 27, 1929.

It is common in the use of machines of this type to provide an automatically operating cutter which removes the excess fabric or loopers waste beyond the looping line along the full width of the fabric coursewise at this point. This excess fabric, as is well understood in the art, is cut 0E after the loops of both portions of the fabric at the looping line have been placed on the looper points. The looping thread or threads is then applied to the impaled loops in pairs to form a seam which closes the fabric.

In this prior arrangement the excess fabric is cut off along and confined to the course next adjacent to the course comprising the loops on the looper points. Stated another way, the cutting device is positioned vertically with respect to the upper surface of the dial of the looping machine so that its cutting action is confined to a single plane. The result is that the loops on the looper points lie in a singleplane below the plane of the cutting action and these planes always retain this relative position recognizing, however, that means is provided to initially adjust the spacing between these planes.

The ditiiculty with this procedure, which has existed for a long time, is that because circular fabric is knit as a helix, it is not easy to insure that the last loop at the seam will be caught by the loop thread or threads. Unless all of the loops in the seam are caught by the looping thread there is always the possibility that a run will start at an uncaught loop. Because of thediiculty of assuring the catching of the last loop at the end of the looping line by the prior method an imperfect stocking often results. The difficulty of securing the last loop or loops by the old method arises in part frornthe fact that the loops cannot be properly impaled on the looper pointsy because the last loop Vin the course at the looping line is diflicult to position properly.

The chance of not catching the last loop or the thread of which it and some of the preceding loops were formed is due to the-brushing action normally employed after the excess fabric is cut off, so that the free thread from these loops may remain uncaught, permitting a run to start there in some cases.

in accordance with this invention the excess fabric at the looping line is clipped off first along the course ends adjacent to the loops on the looper points until about the last twenty-live wales, whereupon the cutting knife is raised automatically to the second adjacent course with cutting continuing to the end. The result is that the loops on the looper points at the seam are the last loops in the fabric widthwise of the seam until about the last twentyfive wales where extra loops occur, interlocked of course with the loops on the looper points in the respective wales. Thus, when Vthe looping thread or threads are stitched in by the looping line, these twenty-five cutter loops are surrounded or enclosed within the looping thread loops as well as passing through, the adjacent loops on the looper points, more securely locking the fabric in the last twentyve wales. The result is that the numberpof defective stockings resulting from the defect noted above Iis eithercompletely eliminated or diminished to an unimportant factor.

Generally speaking the subject matter of this invention consists in novel mechanism for effecting the shifting of the cutter in accordance with the principles explained above in order to leave the extra loops in the last twentylive wales at the looping seam. Several modifications and mechanisms suitable for this purpose are illustrated in the attached drawings.

inthe drawings only a suliicient portion of a looping machine or" this type is illustrated to make clear the physical and functional cooperation and association of the subject matter of this invention therewith.

f Referring lirst to Figure 3, there is shown at 10 a portion of the arm on which the looper dial is supported.

for rotation on a vertical axis. As shown in the patents referred to above this arm extends back to the main frame and operating mechanism of the looper, so that the dial 14 Ais supported in a'horizontal position. This dial is secured to thelower end of la subshaft 12, whichdepends fromthefreeend of the arrn 10. The flange 14C* ofthe dial is provided with aconiiguration in which two annular seats are formed. In the innermost of these annular seats is aring composed of a series of segmental sections 16 which together form a complete annulus which is ,held invits seat by a ring 24- attached Vto `the top face of the dial, The annular ring composed of the segmental sections 16 isprovided with'teeth on the interior and exterior peripheries-thereof, -the former providing an internal gear 16a, see Figs. l and 3. Secured-in the outermost annular seat Vis a second-annular ring composed of segmental sections 18. These `sections have teeth on the inner peripherythereof which engage with the teeth on the outer periphery of thering 16'to lock'thern together. The rings 16 and -18 together rotatefin the annular seats in the flange 14a of the disc 14. This rotation is caused by a drive through the shaft-34 from the main mechanism of the machine. This shaft is suitably journaled on the disc 14 and arm ltl, both of which are fixed and is provided witha worm `32, see Figure l, which meshes with a worrnwheel 30 mounted on the upper end of a' shaft 23 in housing 26. The lower end of the shaft 2S is provided with a pinion, not shown (see the patents above) which meshes with the internal teeth 16a of the ring 16 which are exposed by an opening 14h, see Figure 3, on the depending liange of the disc 14.

The ring 18 is provided with an annular seat in which the looper points 22 are secured by a series of segmental clamps 20 held by screws as shown in Figures l and 3. Thus, as is well known, a complete circle of radially projecting looper points 22 is provided around the periphery of the disc assembly.

The looper thread needle position is indicated at 36 in Figure 3, as well as some of the associated mechanism, none of which is specifically concerned with this invention but which forms a part of the complete machine disclosed in the above patents.

Assuming clockwise rotation of lthe looper points on the dial, Figure 1, the novel cutting attachment of this invention is mounted on the dial 10 in advance of the instant position, which is approximately on the section line 3 3 of Figure 1. This attachment includes a support bracket 38 secured to the top face of the dial 14 having pivoted'thereon and extending radially outwardly an arm 4t). This pivotal mounting is provided by a circular pin 42 which is clamped between the bracket 3S and the arm 40 by means of a compression spring 44. This spring bears at its outer end on a headed stud 46 which extends A'through the bracket 38 and is tixedly secured to the inner end of the arm 46. The stud 46 is free to move in a passage of the bracket 38 `and normally tends to rotate the arm 40 in a counterclockwise direction limited by adjusting screw 58 to vary its Vertical spacing with respect to the plane of the looper points 22.

The arm 40 has an upsanding bifurcated bracket 41 in whicha pivot rod 48 is mounted. Pivotally mounted on this rod is an L-shaped arm 5t) having a portion ex tending vertically downwardly to a point adjacent the looper points and another portion extending generally radially inwardly of the disc 14. This arm 50 is resiliently held in its lowermost position on the pin 48 by means of a compression spring 49. Pivotally attached to the horizontal portion of the arm 50 is an operating link 56 which extends back to the machine in the usual manner for a purpose to be explained later. f Secured in afclamp at the lower free end ofthe vertical portion lof arm 50 isA a .knife blade S2.. This knife blade cooperates with another knifeblade secured to a depending extension 'ofthe arm 40. The two knife blades cooperate in a scissors like actionwhich is effected by oscillatory movement of the arm 50 on the pin 48 throughthe drive linkage 56. The cutting knives and their cooperating action are part of the usual cutter of a looper of this type and are in practising this invention caused to have cooperative action through the link 56 from the operating mechanism of the main portion of the machine, in accordance with well known practice.

ln passing it is noted that the resilient rotating of the arm 5t) through spring 49 permits proper pressure between thefcutting edges of the Yblades 52 and 54. The device as shown, as is well known in the art, may be adjusted so that the vertical position ofthe v,knife 52 can be changed with respect to the fixed knife 54 to insure proper cutting coactionrbetween the knife blades.

The compression spring 44 normally holds the arm 40, as previously mentioned, in a normal plane, so that the cutting plane of the knives has a fixed but adjustable relationship with respect to the plane of the needle points 22.

ln accordance withthe normal practice in the use of `this mechanism, the fabric F to be scamed is placed by the operator on the looper points so that the loops at the respective edges of the seam are mpaled in pairs on the points. With the previous cutting attachments the loopers waste or excess fabric beyond the loops impaled on the points is automatically cut off, as the looper point revolves towards the looping needle position. As those skilled in the art understand, the operatorgains great facility in placing the loops on the points at a position in advance of the needle position. The diiculty, as has been explained above, is in insuring impaling the last loops of the seam on the points, which diiculty is compounded by the fact that the fabric is knit in a helix of very line pitch.

For emphasis the pivotal mounting of the arm 40 on the bracket 38 is novel with the subject matter of this invention because in prior practice the cutting plane of the knives was fixed, except for initial adjustments with respect to the plane of the looper points. However, in accordance with this invention, this cutting line can be raised. To eliect'this a cantilever arm 60 is sccuredto the arm 4t) and pivotally connected to the plunger62 of a solenoid electro-magnet 64. This magnet isv secured to the top face of the dial 14 and can be supplied with energizing current through the circuit wires 74'from a suitable source of electrical energy 72. This source can take various forms, including in accordance with this invention, any one of a number of known forms of electronic switching devices. Activation vof the source\72 is effected by means of a contact arm 68 which is secured upon and insulated from the dial 14 by means of a support member 66.

The arm 68 extends radially outwardly andterminates in a contact 70 which is lpositioned above the annular path of travel-of the fabric F whenimpaled on the looper points. This contact point 70 is vrelatively positioned in the circumferential direction with respect tothe cutting operation so that at a predetermined point in the cutting operation it may move -into contact with the looper points 22, completing a circuit from the leaf spring arm 68 which includes the wire '78, the source 72 and the Wire 76 which grounds the source on the dial 14.

lt will be understood, of course, that the looper points are groundedv on the dial at the .point of mounting so that an energizing inpulse is sent to the source 72 whereupon magnet 64 is energized. Energization of the magnet draws the plunger 62 downwardly causing a lifting action on the arm 41B against resistance of lspring 44 raising the outer end of the arm 40 a predetermined distance. This distance can be controlled by controlling thel stroke of the plunger 62 in any suitable manner as by Ahaving it engage `a stop so that the planeof cutting lof the knives 52 and 54 is raised the precise desired amount in a direction vertically away Vfrom the plane of the looper points 22.

In order to adjust the initial position of the cutting plane, that is when the magnet- 64 is de-energized, an adjustable screw 58 is mounted in the arm 40 and extended to engage the ring 24. When this screw is properly adjusted the cutting plane will be displaced vertically with respect to the plane of the looper points the exact desired amount. Y Thus, as soon as the magnet 64 is de* energized, spring 44 will return the arm 40 to the adjusted position determined by the screw 58.

The nature of this operation can be emphasized by reference to Figure 2, which can be stated to be an outside elevational View of a portion of the fabric at the looping line when impaled on the looper lines 22. The

3 last course in the fabric at each side of the looping line is represented by the course A in Figure 2. It will be understood, as is well known in the art, that in back of the loops appearing in. Figure 2 is another set of loops for the other edge of the fabric at the looping line. The next adjacent course of loops is the course B. The cutting line is illustrated at CL. Assume that cutting action begins from the left of Figure .2, it will continue from the beginning of-the looper line along the courseB until a predetermined Wale W is reached. At this time the arm 4G is in normal position as determined by the adjusting screw 52. However, when the contact 70 completes the circuit `to the source 72 and magnet 64 is energized, the cutting line will shift upwardly in Figure 2 to the course C next adjacent to the course B and cutting will continue to the end of the loopers waste LW.

As will be best seen from Fig. l, the contact 70 will move olf the top of the fabric projecting above the points 22 when the trailing edges of the fabric with reference to the direction of its movement (see Fig. 2) move out from under it. As is clear from Fig. 4, when the fabric on the points is passing under the arm 68, the contact 70 will be held raised, but as soon as the contact runs off the fabric it will drop down into engagement with the points, completing the circuit to the knife raising solenoid 64. As soon as the knives are raised, which in the case of Fig. 2 would be at the position of Wale W, the line of cutting jumps up to the next course C and continues to the end of the fabric.

Upon consideration it will be seen that the point where the knife moves upwardly from course B to course C will be determined by the space between the cutting edges of the knives and the centerline of the contact which is diagrammatically illustrated on Fig. l as the distance D. Provision can readily be made for varying-the circumferential distance between the knives and the contact to determine how many loops will be cut in the course C. The fabric blanks are placed on the points with some space between them, and as is well known in the art usually a distance of about 1%". Thus, as each new blank moves up to contact 70 it is raised out of engagement with the points 22, breaking the circuit to the solenoid, with the result that the knives which have been raised up to this time return to their normal position, which of course, is in advance of the arrival of the leading edge of the fabric to the knife. Thus, the cutting of the loops in course B for each blank occurs at the lower level and continues until the contact runs off the trailing edge of v the fabric, whereupon the knives jump up, which in the case illustrated is in the Wale W, Fig. 2, and continue their cutting along the line CL in course C to the end of the fabric.

From experience it has been ,determined that the slift round the extra loops in the course B for the last twentytive wales, as diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 2. Thus the surrounding or encompassing looper thread or threads in addition to interlocking with the loops of the last twenty-rive wales, will also be tightly bound around the loops B. This insures that the last loops in the terminal Wale TW will be certainly imprisoned, eliminating or greatly minimizing the chances of a vrun starting at that point because there is no free loop.

There is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 7 variable conditions which may result from the brushing operation which is commonly performed in connection with looping. ln this ligure the last course A of loops of each fabric edge mounted on the looper points is shown, as well as some of the conditions which can result in the brushing action.4 AtV A' are illustrated cut loops which were not disturbed by the brushing action, while at A are shown cut loops which are partially removed by the cutting action but not completely. At the rst loop at the left of this course and at the eighth loop the cut loops have been brushed completely away. Assuming for the moment that the excess fabric has been cut straight across the course adjacent the course A, as has been the prior vide the free thread A".

practice, and assuming that the brushing action has reeighth loops, there will be left a free end at AE. This is the point where runs are likely to start following the prior practice. However, if cutting is along the line CL as shown in Figure 7 (and also in Figure 2) the brushing action may remove in part or in Whole the yarn which was left in the last 25 wales as shown in Figure 2) to pro- Whether the thread is brushed out of all of these 25 loops or only part of them, the free end of it,l as represented by the end A" can be caught in the seam by the looping thread, further insuring against the starting of a run at the last wale of the looping line.

The modified structure of Figures 5 and 6 are provided to produce the same type of action in a somewhat different manner. In the case of Figure 5, arm 40a is mounted for vertcal sliding movement in the bracket 38a fixed to the dial 40, as in the case of bracket 38. Any suitable form of sliding connection may be provided such as a jib connection and a compression spring, not shown, will bear downwardly on the arm lua to hold it in its lowermost position. ln thisfarrangernent the solenoid magnet 64 is mounted `on the arm 40a in any suitable manner as for example by means of a bracket 41a. In this case a magnetizable cap 62a is anchored by a' linkage 82 to a fixture 84 on the base of the bracket 38a. Cap 62a being fixed, magnet64 will react upwardly raising arm 40a against the compression spring, not shown, bearing on top of it.

An adjustable stop screw 88 is mounted on the upper end of the bracket 38SL and positioned to engage the top side of the arm 40a when the cutting plane of the knives` has been shifted to the next course, as previously explained. The energization of the magnet 64 is controlled by a microswitch 80, which is supported in any suitable manner so that its operating button a will rride on the fabric F. This micro-switch is relatively positioned in a circumferential direction so that when the cutting action reaches the'beginning of the last twenty-five Wales button 8i)av of the micro-switch will run olf the fabric. Thus, switch 8l) will close and complete a circuit in the obvious manner to the solenoid 64 to energize it to cause the knives to rise.

The modification of Figure 6 has special reference to the specic manner in which the solenoid 64 in either of the previous forms is energized. In this case a fixed light source 96 is mounted so that the light beamed therefrom' will be interrupted by the movement of the loopers Waste LW out of its path. The light will then strike a photo-electric cell assembly 92 fixed on the arm 4l]EL or some other suitable xed point, completing a circuit, not shown, to the solenoid winding 64. Here again the radial plane of the light beamed from the source 90 to the photo-sensitive device 92 will be positioned so that the looperfswaste will pass out of the beam just at the time vit is desired to have the cutting line raised, `as previously described.

`Thus,from the above description it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art by reason of the modications illustrated that the details of the subject matter of this invention can be varied in many ways without departure from the novel subject matter thereof. For this reason it is desired that the scope of the claims appended hereto be interpreted in the light of thel substance of this invention rather than be limited to the details thereof except in so far as requiredby the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a dial looper, the combination with a dial having looper points projecting radially from and rotatable aroundits periphery, of a ysupporthaving a xed and a movablepart, a pair of relatively movable cutter blades mounted on said movable part and positioned normally in a plane above the plane ofrsaidpoints, means for shifting ,said movable part to position said pairof blades in a plane above said normal plane,v and means for activating said last means atpredetermined points in the rotary movementof said looper points.

2. In the combination of claim 1, said movable part being pivotally mounted on said fixed part, and means for resiliently urging said movable. part to hold saidL pair of blades in saidnormal plane.

3. In the combination of claim 1, said movablepart being slidablymounted on said fixed part, and means for resilicntly urging said movable-part to hold said pair of blades in said normal plane.

4. In the combination of claim 1, said shifting means comprising an electro-magnetic operator connected to said movable part.

5. In thecombination of claim 1, said shifting means comprising an electro-magnetic operator connected to said movable part and said activating means including a contact member engageable with said looper points.

6. Inthe combination of claim 1, said shifting means comprising an electro-magnetic operator connected to said movablepart and said activating means vincluding a switching device-actuated by a workpiece on said looper points.

7. In the combination of claim 1, said shifting means comprising an electro-magnetic operator connected to said movable part and said activating means including a photo-electricdevice .controlled 'by workpieces mounted on said looper points.

8.111 the combination of claim 1, means for limiting the movement of said movable part in either direction.

9. `In the combination of claim l,.means for limiting the movement of said movable part in shifted direction.

10. A method of looping a seam in a seamless hosiery blank having looper waste at the seam, which comprises mounting the loops of the last course of the fabric at each side of the ,seam on loopers points, cutting the loopers wastefrom the fabric along a course adjacent the loops on said points for a predetermined distance, continuing to cut the loopers waste for the remaining Wales on an adjacent course to leave additional loops on the fabric interknit with the loops on the loopers points in the same wales to interlock the loops on the points with the looping 'thread to embrace said additional loops.

11. In the seaming of circular knit hosiery fabric having loopers Waste to form a looping line, the steps of placing the terminal loops of the fabric at each side of the looping line on loopers points, removing the loopers waste along two adjacent courses to leave additional loops in a predetermined number of Wales interknit withthe loops in the same wales on said points, and interlocking the loops with the looping thread to embrace said additional loops.

12. In the preparation of seamless hosiery fabric for looping having excess courses at the looping line, the stepsofimpaling the loops-of the last vcourses on the looping `*line in looperspoints,cutting a predetermined numbery ofi loops from the next adjacent course, 4and continuing the-cutting of-theloops in a predetermined number-of :Wales at the looping l-ine along the next adjacent courseV and seaming the loops together.

References Cited inthe le of this patent `UNITED 4STATES PATENTS 1,245,533 Traver Nov. 6, 1917 1,541,008 'Tlucka June 9, 1925 1,967,714 Keyser July 24, 1934 1,970,994 .DeSpain Aug. 21, 1934 Y2;191,288 jPons Feb. 20, 1940 2,287,660 Binkley ,June 23, 1942 2,615; Mintzet al Oct. 28, 1952 

